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Page A4
1 JJorthinh (lObseruer Sp e c l a l
March 26, 2008
E d iti o n
Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f The Portland Observer
War-Budget
Could Buy a Lot
If only our
‘leaders' would
end ideological
crusades
b \
lu re . C o u n tin g
W
HÌWCfQfafeH sTU o’ffgRS
such d e te rre d
costs as in te re s t on the w a r debt
and
lo n g - te r m
c a re
fo r
th e
w o u n d e d , the tab is $ 7 2 0 m illio n
p e r day.
T h e A m e ric a n F rien ds S ervice
C o m m itte e has a n a ly z e d w h a t
else besides th is m is ­
J im H ightowi r
b e g o tte n w a r A m e ric a
P re sid e n t G e o rg e W .
c o u ld b u y
w ith o n ly
one day s w o rth o f the
B ush has n o w s u b m it­
ted his b u d g e t to C o n ­
m on ey w e 'r e s p e n d in g
g re s s , an d
the re .
F o r $ 7 2 0 m illio n w e
it ca n be
sum m e d up by th is lo p ­
c o u ld p r o v id e h e a lth
sid ed seore: D o m e s tic
needs, zero. T h e P en ta g o n . $5 15
co v e ra g e lo r 4 2 4 ,0 0 0 c h ild re n ;
b illio n .
T h e b u d g e t slashes h e a lth care
b u ild 84 bra n d ne w s c h o o ls ; b u y
s c h o o l lu n ch e s f o r 1.2 m illio n
pro g ra m s fro m M e d ic a re to the
needy k id s ; p ro v id e 6 ,4 8 2 u n its
m e d ic a l needs o l 9-11
rescue
o f a ffo rd a b le h o u s in g ; pay f o r
w o rke rs. It also makes d ra stic cuts
re n e w a b le -e n e rg y e le c tr ic ity in
Under Mr Bush's accounting
rules, war costs are off-budget,
charged to the credit card o f our
children, grandchildren, great­
grandchildren and beyond.
in such o th e r c ru c ia l e ffo rts as
1.3 m illio n h o m e s; pay the a n ­
the ce n te rs f o r disease c o n tro l,
nual salaries o f 12 ,5 0 0 new cla ss­
lo w - in c o m e e n e rg y assistance,
ro o m tea chers; and p u t 3 5 ,0 0 0
War on drugs
misplaced
prison w ith o u t the skills they need to
dealers. The passing o f m andatory
thrive. Yet. A m erica continues to
m in im u m laws were one o f the m ain
u n d e rs ta n d w h y y o u n g p e op le
im prison drug offenders, despite e v i­
weapons used. These laws required
w o u ld risk th e ir lives and endanger
lem at its root, w o u ld have sought to
dence that this m ethod is in ­
ju dg es to hand d o w n m andatory
the irco m m u n itie s toengage in drug
effective , not to m ention ex­
sentences fo r drug offenses, regard­
related activities.
M athis
pensive. Study a fter study
less o f the circum stances surround­
ing the crim e.
and fa m ily lite ra c y . B u t it p ile s
s tu d e n ts th ro u g h
h a lf- a - tr illio n
bv ,|t im ; e G reg
P entagon's v a u lts - and that does
state c o lle g e .
A n y o f these c o u ld be had fo r
The U nited States im ­
shows that it is fa r cheaper to
not in c lu d e the m on ey th ro w n
j ust one day o f w a r fu n d i ng. T h i s
prisons more people than
educate and rehabilitate than
The lawsal so required longer sen­
m ilita ry groups to sm uggle and sell
it is to incarcerate. It is tim e fo r
tences fo r crack cocaine offenses, an
drugs in th is co u n try to fu n d weap­
bucks
in
th e
a fo u r - y e a r
Cheaper to Educate than Incarcerate
gre at c o u n try has the m o n e y to
any other country in the
U n d e r M r. B u s h 's a c c o u n tin g
do w h a t needs to be d o ne - i f
w o rld. The m a jo rity o f these people
ru le s, w a r costs are o ff-b u d g e t,
o n ly o u r "le a d e rs ” sto p f r it t e r ­
- 80 percent - are locked away fo r
c h a rg e d to the c re d it card o f o u r
in g it a w a y on th e ir id e o lo g ic a l
drug-related crim es; m any o f w hom
c h ild r e n , g ra n d c h ild re n , g re a t­
c ru s a d e s .
are lo w -le ve l drug offenders.
g ra n d c h ild re n and be yo n d .
For more inform ation on Jim
H ig h to w ers work - and to .sub­
scribe to Itis m onthly new slet­
ter. The H ightow er Lowdown,
visit jim hightow er. com.
d o w n the h e llh o le o f Iraq.
Joseph S tig litz , a N o b e l P riz e ­
w in n in g e c o n o m is t, has c a lc u ­
la te d the to ta l co st o f ju s t the firs t
fo u r yea rs o f the Ira q m is a d v e n -
The c o u n try ’ s increased prison
It is time for this country to realize
that the current system is not working
and develop one that does.
population has led to weakened co m ­
ons purchases. T h o u g h m any deny
the cla im s, there is substantial re­
search on file to support them .
I n the 20 o r so years since the war
on drugs began, the o n ly thin g that
has changed is the num ber o f people
m unities, particular in urban areas,
(his country to realize that the cu r­
urban drug, than pow der cocaine, a
in prison fo r drug related crim es and
and a generation o f young men. and
rent system is not w o rk in g and de­
drug long associated w ith whites
the am ount o f m oney this country
now w om en, w ho are released from
velop one that does.
spends on incarcerating people w ho
T hou gh the A m e rica n g o v e rn ­
and m oney.
T h o u g h the c o u n try is n o w ta k ­
can be rehabilitated. A new strategy
m ent has lo n g waged a w a r against
in g steps to m ove aw ay fro m m an­
is cle arly needed.
the drug o f its day - a lco h o l in the
da to ry m in im u m s , the dam age has
1920s and 30s - the co n te m p o ra ry
been done.
Help us m ark the future of
M artin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
Preliminary concepts for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
Gateway and Heritage Markers are on display at Reflections
Y ou n g men, and wom en, have
when crack cocaine began to d e v­
spent years in ja il, m any fo r n o n vio ­
Y o u n g people need access to cou n­
astate urban areas. T he w a r was
lent drug offenses, and are unedu­
seling that w ill help them address
m ore o f an attack, ta rg e tin g poor
cated and unable to properly pro­
the roo t issues o f d ru g abuse.
people o f co lo r.
vide fo r themselves o rth e ir fam ilies,
Judge Greg Mathis is national
vice president o f Rainbow PUSH
and a national board member o f the
Southern Christian Leadership
Conference.
Instead o f focusing on anti-drug
weakening the core o f urban co m ­
munities.
education and reh ab ilita tion o f ad­
dicts, the w a r m a in ly centered on
A n authentic w a r on drugs, one
2008. You're encouraged to stop by, review the plans and
arresting and im p rison in g users and
that was designed to solve the prob-
provide comments.
For information on the Martin
Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Gateway
Heritage Markers project, visit:
www.pdc.us/heritagemarker,
or call Irene Bowers, PDC
senior project coordinator, at
5 0 3 .8 2 3 .2 4 1 9 or e-mail
bowersi@pdc.us.
ting in PorthnfJ't h d m
PDC
POOTlANf) U lV ltO F M IN T COMMISSION
www.pdc.us
n— ]
«a*
How does poverty, housing or
discrimination affect your health?
Across the country, thousands of people w ill take part in discussion about
the connections between healthy bodies, healthy bank accounts and skin
color.
Please join us for a special screening and discussion of Unnatural Causes,
a PBS documentary which confronts myths and misconceptions about
our health.
Portland Community College
Moriarty Arts and Humanities Building Auditorium
Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
April 12
New Columbia
Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
4625 N. Trenton Street
March 29, April 19, May 3 and May 17
For more information and screening locations,
visit vwvw.mchealth.org/healthequity or call 503-988-3030 Ext. 22068
f
T he govern m ent can begin a n ti­
drug co u nse lin g in schools. A n d
w a r on drugs began in the 1980s,
Coffee House, 446 NE Killingsworth, until Friday, April 11,
h Equity
:iative
It is no secret that U.S. fo re ig n
p o lic ie s at the tim e a llo w e d fo re ig n
not those 'ju s t say n o ' cam paigns.
In Defense of Reverend Wright
Speak truth to power
bv S herwood
R oss
has been on m any occasions.
man civ ilia n s in W o rld W ar II and the
Such men and wom en loved their
U.S. incinerated the better part o f 66
cou ntry enough toexpect better o f it.
Japanese citie s, m assacring w ith
T h e la ng uag e used b y Rev.
Psychologist W illia m James, the
napalm ove r 100,000 one night in
Jeremiah W rig h t to denounce his
Harvard philosopher, fo r exam ple,
T o k y o alone, and m aybe I-m illio n
cou ntry is certainly “ in fla m m a to ry "
used the same epithet as W rig h t in
Japanese c iv ilia n s in all.
and has brought him w id e v ilific a ­
1898 when he declared: “ G od damn
I d o n ’ t kn o w i f the T rin ity U nited
tion. Y et, the words o f this otherwise
the U.S. fo r its v ile conduct in the
C hurch o f C h rist m inister ever got
gentle man o f peace are now here as
P hilip pine Isles."
around to dam ning A m e rica 's treat­
dam nable as the actions o f the man
W as James w rong? In his “ A
ment o f the N ative A m ericans o r the
o f w a r in the W hite House respon­
P e o p le ’ s H is to ry o f the U n ite d
tw o -m illio n c iv ilia n s U S A e xte rm i­
sible fo r k illin g more than a m illio n
States," H ow ard Z in n quotes M ark
nated in V ie t Nam. Laos and Cam bo­
human beings in Iraq.
T w a in saying this about the U.S.
dia, o r the tens o f thousands that
died when President N ixon anil Henry
Y e t the p re s id e n t's u n c o u n te d
takeoverofthe Philippines: "W e have
lie s have n e ve r been su b je c te d to
pacified some thousands o f the is­
K issinger funded the C IA 's over­
the in te n se s c ru tin y on T V that
landers and buried them ; destroyed
th ro w o f the elected A lle n d e govern­
the n e tw o rk s are n o w d e v o tin g to
th e ir fields; burned the ir villages,
m ent in C h ile , etc., etc., but these are
R ev. W r ig h t's c o m m e n ts ! A n d
and turned the ir w id o w s and o r­
established facts. Just as the to r­
w h y is tha t?
phans ou t-o f-d o o rs."
Bush and his neocon allies have
Indeed, the M a n ila corre spo n­
tures and murders in A b u G hraih and
G uantanam o Bay today are facts.
loosed the dogs o f w a r on the fie ry
dent fo r the P hila d e lp h ia Ledger
W e 'v e heard a lot about "tw o
C hicago preacher not because he
w ro te hom e, “ O u r men have been
A m e rica s" in this cam paign, co m ­
represents a danger to anyone. T h a t' s
relentless, have k ille d to e x te rm i­
paring the rich and the pixrr. But
absurd. W rig h t, we are told, has been
nate men, w om en, ch ild re n , p riso n ­
there are tw o other " tw o A m ericas"
m aking rem arks such as “ god damn
ers and c a p tiv e s ...a n d suspected
that need urgently to be discussed:
A m e ric a " fo r years. It's o n ly since
people fro m lads o f t e n u p ... O u r
the A m e rica o f righteousness, gen­
Sen. Barack Obama has become a
soldiers have pum ped salt w a te r in
erosity, and peace and the A m erica
fro n t-ru n n e r that O ba m a 's o p po­
th e m (c a p tiv e s ) to m ake them
o f c rim in a lity , greed and war: the
nents elected to use Rev. W rig h t.
t a lk . . . " W ere those dam nable acts
Am erica that helped create the United
It's the ir w ay o f attem pting to tear
o r not? H o w m any people reading
Nations and the A m erica o f George
dow n the o n ly one o f the three presi­
these w o rds th in k it s okay to in ­
Bush that seeks plunder, and I d o n 't
d e n tia l candidates that opposed
vade a fo re ig n c o u n try and k ill
blam e the Rev. W rig h t that he is
B ush's war. It's Bush that deserves
w om en and ch ild re n ?
incensed at the latter. So am I. W hile
Rev. W rig h t, shortly a fte r9 /l I he
I do not believe he has his facts right
A n d may we have the tem erity to
declared. "W e bom bed H iroshim a,
concerning a ll hischarges, and w h ile
inquire what Rev. W right is so angry
we bom bed Nagasaki, and we nuked
I thin k it is w rong to call on god to
far m ore than the thousands in N ew
damn any in d ivid u a l, and pa rticu­
censure, not the m inister.
about? The answer in part is that he
is ticked o f f at A m e rica 's im perialist
Y o rk and the Pentagon never batted
la rly to dam n an entire nation, my
foreign p o lic y , its vio hitio ns o f in te r­
an eye ." O nce again, we fin d the
sym pathy is w ith him fo r his prefer­
national law , and its role as a dis­
ence fo r diplo m acy over m ilita ry so­
turber o f the peace. Indeed, W rig h t
m in ister speaking tn ith to power,
referring to the com m ission o f tw o o f
is part o f a long and honorable tra d i­
the most h o rrific w ar crim es in his­
tion o f A m ericans w ho to ld their
tory. He m ight have added, also,
governm ent o f f when the ir go vern­
ment was. in fact, dead w rong, as it
lutions, and fo r peace over war.
Sherwood Ross is a Miami-ba sed
public relations consultant and
between them the U.S. and B ritish air reporter who has worked in the civil
forces kille d perhaps 8(X),(XJ0 G e r­ rights movement.